HARTFORD, CT — Lames Blose, 56, of Fairfield, pleaded guilty today in federal court to charges resulting from a decade-long embezzlement scheme involving multiple banks where he held high-ranking positions, including General Counsel.
Blose, who was an attorney and executive at Hudson Valley Bank, Sterling National Bank, and Webster Bank, admitted to bank fraud and illegal monetary transactions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut confirmed. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, while the illegal monetary transactions charge could lead to 10 years behind bars.
From 2013 to January 2022, Blose misused attorney trust accounts to make personal expenditures and transferred funds into business accounts that he controlled. He then used the stolen funds for his personal benefit, amounting to a total of $7.4 million embezzled from his employers.
Following the acquisition of Sterling National Bank by Webster Bank in January 2022, Blose continued to hold an executive position at Webster Bank until February 2023. His crimes continued during his time there.
Blose was released on $250,000 bond, and his sentencing is scheduled for March 13, 2025, in Hartford. He faces up to 40 years in prison.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, with assistance from the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.
